Poetry selections in high school are too often limited to a hallowed few—Shakespeare and Petrarch, Whitman and Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, and perhaps Billy Collins—if poetry is included at all. While these canonized favorites can enhance any unit of study, they can leave students feeling like poetry is a thing of the past, which…
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Some of the most important issues to be addressed in today’s classrooms include racism and gender equity—but they’re also some of the most intimidating topics for teachers to tackle. Luckily, Southern gothic literature deals with these ideas head on. This subgenre highlights the disparity between idealized notions of the antebellum South and the realities of…
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As a 6th grade teacher, I have the hardest time finding books that challenge my students to think critically without crossing the line into mature content. YA novels can be some of the most violent, steamy, and explicit books on the market since they target readers aged ten to eighteen. On the other hand, middle-grade…
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For many students, reading comes naturally. It’s possible your students probably don’t think about how they read—they just do it. So for those who speak and read English proficiently, taking extra time to teach them reading skills may seem redundant. However, all students of English—from those who grew up with the language to those who…
Do you have a hard time getting students excited about poetry? The work of Mary Oliver has long been celebrated for its simplicity, beauty, and clarity. Her rich, sensory language, exploration of the line between human and non-human worlds, and the frank philosophy that accompanies them, make Oliver’s poems fast favorites with students and teachers…
Every time I tell my middle schoolers that we are going to analyze the elements of a story, I get a big groan from about half the room. Somehow, it’s gotten into their heads that writing stories is fun, while breaking down other people’s stories is the most boring thing in the world. To combat…
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August is officially here, which marks the dreadful end of summer vacation. So, what can you expect on your first day back at school? Icebreakers, and lots of them. And if you're anything like me, the thought of yet another "two truths and a lie" game will make you cringe. While many students loathe the…
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Reading a great book for pleasure can be a magical experience for kids. It takes them to new places, lets them relive history, and teaches them about worlds they would never encounter in real life. Unfortunately, a study on the state of reading in the United States has recently revealed some disheartening statistics: did you…
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